What a fresh take on the Hades and Persephone myth. Gone is the dark, broody, night-club-owner/gambler Hades, and here is the new and artistically inclined god of the dead. I adored how fearless Fitzgerald was in creating a whole new profile for Hades and think she succeeded in bringing him to life in such a believable way. As for Persephone, we really saw a woman find her footing in HER realm - the fact the underworld also belonged to her in key to that statement. Where we are used to seeing Persephone fill in the gaps of the Underworld for Hades, THIS Persephone created new lands, reorganised her court and stepped into her public facing political role with effortless flair.

She does end up of inconveniencing Hades a little in the process, but the enemies to lovers dynamics that we see in their first encounter was utterly delicious. And the achingly romantic, slow burn tension that develops between Hades and Persephone (taking them from enemies- to friends and beyond) was beautifully written and really gave us a chance to explore the nuances of the trust, respect and love that gradually grows between them. I wonder if her lessons will ever sink in or if they’ll forever ring through my mind in her voice, oil on water, condemning my actions without ever helping me stop doing the things that so annoy her. That apparently make me undesirable. Girl, Goddess, Queen is a feminist, fierce and fresh YA fantasy retelling of the classic Greek myth of Hades and Persephone with a hefty dose of steamy romance. Fitzgerald’s reimagining shifts the power dynamic and repositions Persephone as a heroine with agency to control her own narrative, with extraordinarily fun results. And I name you... Kore.’ My eyes widened as the meanings of the name ran through my head: Pure, Beautiful Maiden, Little Girl – apparently that was all I would ever be to him. ‘Goddess of the flowers and of beauty –’ Aphrodite made an almost imperceptible noise of discontent and Father continued, ‘In nature.’ I liked how both Persephone and Hades had broken the streotype in this book. Its somewhat the fluidity in accepting that toxic masculinity and female oppression has made society had not be able to express what they like in the first place. I love how Hades was portrayed in here (soft Hades made me swoon) and Persephone was potrayed to be a stronger but is still feminine. I liked that the author had shown that it doesn't make you less of a man or less of a woman for liking something that didn't approve to the society's standards.Bea Fitzgerald’s YA Fantasy Rom-Com debut is a swoon-worthy and utterly feminist take on Greek mythology (and the Hades & Persephone myth) that lured me in with it’s bold and refreshingly assertive approach to Persephone’s tale —which sees her take on the might of Olympus (and her own mother) for the right to RULE HELL … by marrying Hades of course. And I can genuinely say, I didn’t want it to end! I wanted to turn to my mother, to see if I’d answered correctly, but her hands held me in place, though her nails were less piercing. What I found most intriguing was the author’s choices in regards to her world building. Firstly, she refers to the Underworld consistently as ‘Hell,’ which is unusual, considering that the terminology is more common within Abrahamic religions and its etymological roots can be found in Norse mythology (Hel was the goddess of the Norse underworld, Niflheim), not Greek. That was before the goddess of marriage became queen of the gods. Rivers of Hell, I might not like Hera but at least she gained power somehow, made marriage mean something to bind even her own husband.’ What I can say is that, I equally hate and love this book in equal parts... So.... That's something I will need to think about if I were to write my thoughts on it.

However, I would also think that the author has more potential for her books to come. Her writing had definitely caught my heart at certain scenes. I would def read her next book. Overall, it was an okay read for me. I think I was just sad that I didn't like it as much because I had high hopes for it. But for those who is a first timer to read a Hades and Persephone retelling, this book might work out for you. And I did it anyway! Anyone else would be grateful, Kore. Every single god thinks they’re entitled to taking whatever they want, and that includes you. The only thing they respect is each other. Do you not see that marriage is the only way to protect yourself? I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the fates of other girls who thought they could survive alone.’ Marriage is protection, Kore. A ring on your finger binds you to one man and that’s all the gods respect.’ Our Persephone, traditionally portrayed as sweet tempered and kind, is transformed into a daring and fabulously fierce (Ancient Greek) Girl Boss, determined to seek out happiness by any means necessary—even if it means taking on the patriarchy in all its toxic, oppressive forms. These days, nearly every bookstore has one: a table of novels, their authors spanning gender, sexuality, race, and ability, with a small placard featuring some variation on “BookTok recommends”; “BookTok faves”; or “As seen on BookTok”. The commercial power of BookTok – the subcommunity of social media platform TikTok where readers recommend, review and joke […]

This book was incredible! What an amazing debut by Bea Fitzgerald, I already want to read her next ten books. Her parents want her to follow convention, and her father is not used to dissent. “Father likes to be loud – everything about him is thunderous. He likes it best when his voice is loud enough to have people cowering.” But for Persephone, the threat of an arranged marriage is the final straw: “Safety isn’t enough for me. I’d rather perish, rather be another tragic tale for a mother to use in warning than become a long drawn-out sigh in a hymn, an immortal life spent in misery.”